A typical tapered roller bearing may include a bearing cone having an inner bearing race, a plurality of rollers within a roller cage, and an outer bearing race. Typically, a pair of tapered roller bearings, may be mounted on a wheel axle for rotation of the wheel. In addition, they may be mounted on drive systems used to drive, for example, wheels. However, bearings, particularly those mounted on heavy duty trucks or similar vehicles may be exposed to large forces when mounted in a bearing assembly. The inner bearing race of a bearing used in an assembly is generally designed to remain stationary relative to the shaft upon which it is mounted, such that the outer race rotates relative to the inner race via the rollers therebetween. Sometimes, such mounted bearings may crawl, namely, rotate, or move relative to the axle or spindle, which is undesirable. Movement of the inner race in this situation may lead to excessive and premature wear of the race, shaft and/or bearing assembly in general, as well as the tires. This in turn may lead to, for example, drive or wheel end failure and a catastrophic event.
Sometimes an adjustable spacer in the form of a ring or may be placed between the bearings of a bearing assembly to remove bearing endplay and/or transmit axial loads to the bearings. Such a spacer may contain a compressible area and is mounted between two opposed bearings on a shaft including an axle or spindle to allow a load to be applied on the bearings while maintaining the bearings in a desired axial position. When the bearings are forced towards each other with a predetermined load, the spacer will axially compress. In this manner the forces within a bearing may be controlled. However, when such a spacer is used, any bearing crawl may also result in additional damage or wear on the bearing and/or spacer at their area of contact, for example, between the axially directed face of the bearing and face of the spacer.
In addition to the aforementioned problems, shafts and bearing assemblies may also have a variable diameter. For example, a smaller diameter portion may be located at the end of the shaft with a larger diameter portion located at or near the opposite end. A conical portion of the shaft may function as a transitional area between the large and small diameter portions. A bearing assembly configuration commonly found in such shafts including wheel axle assemblies includes two bearings of different diameters each mounted on the different diameters of the axle.
Therefore, a need exists to inhibit or alleviate crawl of bearings mounted on shafts including an axle or spindle. In addition a need exists for an adjustable spacer which may be used in situations to inhibit or alleviate crawl or other undesirable relative movement between the bearing and the shaft upon which it is mounted. A need also exists for an adjustable spacer which, when in contact with a bearing which may crawl, wears less than an ordinary adjustable spacer, particularly on its face which contacts the bearing. A need also exists for such an adjustable spacer, and/or assembly therefor, which may be used with bearings of different diameters mounted on an axle or spindle having different diameters.